Unit Coordinator: Piotr Kędzierawski, MD, PhD, radiotherapist
Our Breast Cancer Unit offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer. On 20 April 2015 the Holy Cross Cancer Center as a second hospital in Poland obtained accreditation of the Senologic International Society (SIS), confirming that the Breast Cancer Unit complies with the regulations of a center specializing in the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer. The activity of the Breast Cancer Units is regulated by the Resolution of the European Parliament of 2006, indicating the main objectives of the BCU as well as the need to popularize this model of health care. The main objective of the BCU is to ensure that all women with suspected breast cancer or already diagnosed cancer have equal access to services at the same level. In the Holy Cross Cancer Centre the team for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer has been operating for the past few years. The team includes: surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, clinical oncologists, oncology nurses, psychologists, gynecologists, and rehabilitation specialists. We are a leader in the treatment of patients with breast cancer in the Świętokrzyskie region. We treat patients from the entire Poland. We use several methods of treatment, namely:
surgery,
radiation therapy,
chemotherapy,
hormone therapy,
biological therapy.
Thanks to the popularity of screening tests and better detection of breast cancer at an early stage fewer mastectomies are performed. We perform breast-sparing surgeries as well as reconstruction procedures (immediate or deferred). We conduct system treatment according to the biology of cancer. We use modern conformal radiation therapy, biological therapy, physical, psychological and social rehabilitation. All patients, regardless of the severity of cancer, are treated at the Unit. After determining the severity of the disease each case is analyzed by a team of specialists (consultation). The most common primary treatment is surgery. The patient is informed by the surgeon about a possible surgical treatment and its scope (e.g. radical mastectomy, simple mastectomy, conservative treatment or treatment of breast reconstruction). The scope of surgery is determined by the patient in cooperation with the surgeon. If a surgery cannot be performed due to extensive cancer, systemic treatment including chemotherapy or hormonal therapy is proposed. It aims at reducing the tumor and offering a possibility to conduct a safe radical surgery. After the surgery a team of specialists analyses the results of a post-operative histopathological examination. Each case is treated individually and depending on prognostic and predictive factors further treatment is decided upon. This may include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy. We do not treat cancer but the patient so the therapeutic decisions take into account other factors, such as age, intercurrent diseases, and patient’s preferences. Additionally, we offer rehabilitation, psychologist or psychiatrist consultations. Patients undergoing the therapy can be treated in our outpatient or stationary units. They can also benefit from genetic counseling (determination of the probability of developing cancer among family members and facilitating early detection through diagnostic tests planned accordingly). After the treatment, we conduct control tests designed to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment and to detect recurrence and subsequent outbreaks of cancer (in the other breast).